Washing machine



M. L.-MANCHESTER WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR Mel'lg fi. Manchesez' WM,M4$M

ATTORNEYS Aug 3, 1937. M. 1.. MANCHESTER WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Dec. 2, 1955' TJJTEI.

INVENTOR MPI'ZQ ,1). Mancfieser ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 3, I 1937 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE wasnmc. MACHINE Application December 2, 1933,Serial No. 700,639

3 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines wherein a cylinder is mountedfor rotation within an outer casing. More specifically thislnventionprovides a cylinder door closure in which the 5 undesirable effects ofunavoidable wear of the locking parts is minimized. Further, it providesfor an automatic bridge for the gap between cylinder and outside casingof the washer.

Washing machine cylinders rotate in casings lb of appreciably largerdiameter, the casing and cylinder being provided with door openingswhich may be brought into registry. While articles are being placed inor removed from a cylinder through the said registering openings, itoften it happens that some of the smaller pieces drop down into thespace between the cylinder and the surrounding casing. To prevent thisresort has been had to various expedients. For instance, an apron wasprovided which, when the doors were open, could be, brought into aposition to lie across the respective door sills, bridging the gapbetween casing and cylinder. In other constructions the door of thecylinder was made in two parts, a longer upper door hinged to the upper25 edge of the door opening and a shorter lower door hingedto the loweredge of the door opening. When the cylinder doors were opened the lowerdoor portion swung downwardly to extend across the gap between thecylinder and easing,

m in which position it was supported by the door sill of the casing.

Aprons according to the first expedient were found to be awkward tohandle and necessitated very careful spotting of the inner cylinder tobring 35 the respective openings into close alignment.

Where the second expedient was employed, namely, the double doors, theoperator was forced to use two separate and distinct motions whenopening the cylinder doors. It was first necessary M to unlatch thelower door allowing it to fall in place and then to raise the longerdoor to give access to the inside of the cylinder.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a cylinder doorclosure which embodies a M simple, practicable and automaticallyoperable means for bridging thegap between the door sills of thecylinder and outer casing. It is further an object of this invention tosimplify the operation of the cylinder closure by making it possible toopen the said door and bridge the gap between cylinder and easing by asingle motion or act of the operator.

Another difficulty found in machines of this kind has to do with themeans for locking the it cylinder doors so that they will not yield tothe Pounding of the load within the cylinder nor suffer relativemovement between latching surfaces to cause wear of those surfaces andeventually looseness of the. door members. Loosening at the latchingsurfaces not only produces door rattling but permits opening of thedoors to such an extent while the machine is in operation that fabricsmay be caught therein and badly damaged. Furthermore, it is desirablethat when the doors are moved to closed position the latches shouldoperate automatically to locked position in order to reduce as far aspossible the danger of the operators closing a door without firstassuring himself that the latches have caught before setting the machinein operation. It is therefore an object of this invention to providesimple and efficient door latches subject to a minimum of wear whichwill automatically lock themselves when the doors are closed by theoperator.

Other objects will be iii-part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements,

and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to ,behereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will beindicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the variousembodiments of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a washing machine embodyingthe several features of the present invention:

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '3 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the washer cylindershowing certain of the specific features of the invention;

Fig. i is a partial section takenon line ll-t of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a similar section taken on line b--6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a section take on line ll of Fig. 3.

Similar reference elm acters refer to similar parts throughout thevarious views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a cylindrical casing inis mounted upon standards it and provided with hearing members ifsupported by said standards.

as applied to one end of the washer is shown in Fig. l. The casing isprovided with a door opening it and a door closure comprising a,

This construction provided an angular abutment member l6 serving as asill against which the lower edge of the 10 door l4 rests when the dooris in closed position. i

A cylinder I1 is rotatably mounted upon a horizontal axis within thecasing II). It is provided with end heads and, if desired, withintermediate heads of similar construction. Such a head is indicated atH! in Fig. 2. The end heads are provided with any suitable trunnionassembly providing shaft members I9 rotatably mounted in bearings I2.Secured to the heads are rib members and 2| which serve as tumblers foragitating the clothes when the machine is in operation. The ribs 2| arenotched as at 22 to provide seats for the free edges of cylinder doors23. Each notch 22 provides a shoulder against which are secured slam orwearing plates 24, best shown in Fig. 4, disposed adjacent the lateraledges of the door opening and adapted to cooperate with hinge members ofthe doors, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The peripheral space between the ribs 29 and 2| is occupied by aplurality of wooden staves which are secured to the head membershereinbefore mentioned by means of continuous metal bands 26. Thesestaves run the length of the cylinder except at the door openings, inline with which short stub staves are employed. Each door 23 comprises aplurality of similar wooden staves 21 and 28, which constitute the bodyof the door and which are secured at their ends each to a casthinge-strap 29. The staves 21 extend the full width of the door openingterminating at their ends in close-fitting relation to the lateral edgesof said opening. The staves 28, two of which are employed for each door,are shorter than the staves 21 and are secured to the hinge-strapcastings by bolts 30. The longer staves are secured to the hinge-strapcastings by bolts 3|. I

Each hinge-strap is pivoted at its upper end by means of a pin 32 to ahinge-butt 33, the latter being rigidly mounted upon a hinge-buttstave34 which is notched, as at 35, so as to over- -lap the upper edge of theupper stave of the door when the door is in closed position, best shownin Fig. 4. The portion of the lower doorstave 29 which lies between thehinge-straps will be similarly overlapped by the shoulder 22 of thetumbler rib 2|. When the door is in closed position contact takes placebetween the hingestraps and the wear plates 24. Thus there is nowear-producing contact between the stave itself and the rib. It shouldbe noted that a single full width door closes the opening between thehinge-butt-stave 34 and the rib 2|.

Dry cleaning cylinders are usually provided with door openings disposedat 180' from one another which are brought successively into registrywith the opening in the casing when it 7 is desired to unload thecylinder. Since dry cleaning fluids are not drained from the casing.after each operation it is necessary before removal of. the load tolift it out of the fluid standing in the cylinder. To facilitate thisoperation a drainboard is employed in the following manner. After themachine has been stopped and one of the cylinder doors brought intoregistry with the casing opening, a removable drainboard is thrustthrough the door openings and disposed within the cylinder insubstantially a diametrical position. Means are provided for supportingthe edges of the drainboard in a position substantially flush with thesilk of the respective cylinder door openings, and other means areprovided for holding the drainboard in such a position when the cylinderdoor is closed. After insertion of the drainboard the cylinder isrotated to bring the opposite door opening into registry with the casingopening. This brings the load to the upper side of the drainboard andpermits surplus fluid ta drain through the board. into the lower halfthe cylinder and casing. Then, when the cylinder and casing have beenopened the operator may reach inside and slide the load along thedrainboard and over the unloading apron (when one is available),discharging the same into a laundry basket or other receptacle.

Such a drainboard 36 is shown in operative position in Figs. 2 and 4.This drainboard rests against the relatively upper and lower surfaces ofthe opposing ribs 2| adjacent their outer ends,

' the drainboard being provided with metal angles 31 adapted to engagecopper ground-strips 33 set into the inner ends of the ribs. The ribsprevent shifting of the drainboard in a radial direction and, when thedoors are closed as shown in Fig. 4 and in the lower half of Fig. 2, thelongitudinal edges of the drainboard are engaged by shoulders, as at 39,formed upon the hinge casting and the lower door stave. Thus thedrainboard is clamped along either longitudinal edge thereof between theshoulders 39 and the points of contact of the drainboard with thetumbler ribs 2|. It will be understood that the cylinder staves, thedoor staves, the cylinder heads. and the drainboard are all suitablyperforatedto permit free circulation of the treating fluid duringdraining thereof from the clothes at the end of a washing operation.

A flap or apron 49 is hinged to swing about an axis 44 disposed parallelto door axis 32 and at the periphery of the cylinder exteriorly of thedoor 23. This flap comprises a metal plate 4| secured at its ends bymeans of rivets 42 to a pair of binge members 43. These hinge membersare rotatably'secured by means of pins 44 to hinge butts 45 rigidlymounted upon the outer surface of the cylinder. The flap overlaps thedoor 23 covering substantially the whole of the lower stave thereof andan equal amount of the lower ends of the hinge-straps 29. Each flaphinge43 is provided with a pad 46 disposed upon its inner surface in closeadjacency to the hinge axis 44, which pad is adapted firmly to engagethe outer surface of the hinge-strap 29 adjacent its extreme lower orfree edge. Thus the closing of the flap over the lower edge of theclosed cylinder door forces the lower ends of the respectivehinge-straps into close contact with wear plates 24. A similar pad 41 isprovided on the outer surface of each hinge member 43 adjacent the upperedge thereof, which pad is engageable by a latch member generallydesignated by the numeral 48, which is rotatably mounted in a recess 49formed in each hinge casting 29, as best shown in Fig. 5.

By reference to Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and I it will be seen that this latchmember 48 is in cross-section of a general sector-like formation and ispivoted substantially at the apex of the sector by means of a pin 50upon a boss formed within the hinge casting. Each latch comprises afinger- 59 secured to or formed upon the thrust rod- 56. This spring andthrust rod, as shown in Fig. 3, tend to rotate the latch member aboutits axis to the right and toward the right lateral edge of the door.

It will be understood, of course, that a similar latch mounted upon thehinge-strap secured to the opposite end of the door operates in thereverse direction and is forced by its spring toward the left. Thus thetwo latches normally press outwardly toward the lateral edges of thedoor. In the position shown the hook member 53 over-, lies thebefore-mentioned pad 31! formed upon the hinge member 33 of the flap dband holds the upper end of the flap-hinge in close engagement with theouter surface of the hinge-strap 33. Each flap-hinge 33 is provided witha beveled surface 33, see Fig. 5, adapted to engage a camming surface blformed upon the outer surface of the hook member 53 to force the latchmember inwardly toward the center of the door and downwardly in therecess 33 when the flap is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 toits closed position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. I

A stop member 32 extends outwardly from the surface of the hinge-strap23 in a position to be engaged by the projection 53 of the latch mem- 40her to limit movement of the latch member under the reaction of thespring 53, so that the latch member will normally be held in a positionto be engaged by the flap-hinge when the said flap is brought to itsclosed position.

From the foregoing description, the coomration existing between the doorhinges, the flap member, 1

and the latch member will be largely obvious. With the door in closedposition, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, when it is desired to open the doorthe operator grasps the two latch members disposed at opposite edges ofthe door and with a natural pulling motion swings them about their axestoward one another to release the latch-hooks from engagement with theflap-hinge surface ll. Continuing the pull upon the latch members raisesthe door which now may be swung to a position slightly beyond thevertical where it will stand in engagement with the lower edge of theopen casing door M, as shown in Fig. 2. l'his movement of the cylinderdoor automatically displaces the unloading flap M from its closedposition to the open position shown in Fig. 2, thus closing the gapbetween cylinder and casing. With the cylinder door and flap in thisposition the drainboard 33 may be inserted in its proper position withinthe cylinder or removed therefrom. Supposing that it has been insertedin the position shown in Fig. 2, the door 33 is pulled down to itsclosed position to hold the drainboard securely in place. Then the flapis raised to its closed position and automatically displaces thelatch-hooks 33 from the position shown in Fig. 5, so that their springsmay force them into engagement with the flap-hinge pads 31!. 7 Wherehinged doors have been used to close openings in a washer cylinder, ithas been customary to use sliding bolts mounted in housings furnished bythe door hinge straps, which bolts are spring-pressed outwardly beneatha cylinder band or other latch keeper mounted upon the cylinder to lockthe door in closed position. As in; use these doors are frequentlypermitted to great shock and frequently get out of order. Also with suchconstructions the wear is excessive and slam shut the latch members aresubjected to v the latches soon become inoperative or at leastineffective to maintain a tight closure of the door opening. Thisdisadvantage is not present in applicants construction for the latchesmounted upon the door hinges are subjected merely to the pressureresulting from the force employed by the operator in raising the flap toits closed position. As the shock is slight there is little chance ofdamaging the mechanism of the latch or causing undue wear thereof.Furthermore, it is to be noted that since the latch operates through thelong lever arm provided between the pad ll and the hinge axis 33, ascompared with the short lever arm between the pad 33 and the axis of theflap hinge, there is a-leverage gain of about five to one, so that evenshould there be some looseness at 33 only one-fifth of the amount ofsuch looseness would be apparent at 33. Also, this leverage gain makesit possible for a light latching member to support a very heavy loadimpressed upon the inner surface of the door. From-the foregoingdisclosure it will be seen that this construction presents the followingadvantages: a firm and reliable cylinder door closure during operationof the machine; an unavoidable bridging of the clearance gap between thecylinder and the casing when the door stands open, thus insuring againstforgetfulness on the part of the operator and assuring that articleswill not drop down between the cylinder and casing; automatic operationof the door latch when the flap is raised to its closed position,accompanied by both audible and visible evidence that the parts areready for operation, (in this connection it should be noted that quiteaudible clicks are heard when the latches snap into place); veryeffective control of forces operating upon the latch, flap and doormembers and, consequently,

minimum wear of these parts; and little need for cylinder door openinginto alignment with the casing opening since the flap will functionefficiently even though displaced singularly a considerable amount fromthe position shown in Fig. 2. Also it is to be noted that the singledoor is overlapped interiorly at both its upper and lower edges so thatno gap is left for the entanglement of articlesbeing treated, and sincethe flap lies entirely upon the outer surface of the door, it isimpossible for articles to be caught between the flap and the door.

Thus it will be seen that this invention as embodied herein is welladapted to carry out the objects hereinbefore set forth in a thoroughlyemcient and workmanlike manner; that the construction is sturdy,durable, and so simple that the assembling of the parts or replacementthereof may be easily accomplished.

As many possible embodiments maybe made of the above invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: v

1. In a washing machine cylinder, in combination, door-latchingmechanism comprising a door-hinge pivoted at one side of the dooropening in'said cylinder and extending across said opening, means at theopposite edge of said opening for rigidly supporting the free end oi.said door-hinge, a member pivotally mounted at said opposite edge andclosable over the said free end of said hinge, and a latch pivotallymounted within a recess in said door-hinge, rotatable about an axissubstantially normal to said opposite edge of said opening, said latchbeing adapted to be brought into locking engagement with said member.

2. In a washing machine cylinder, in combh nation, door-latchingmechanism comprising a door-hinge pivoted at one side of the dooropening in said cylinder and extending across said opening, means at theopposite edge of said opening for rigidly supporting the free endoi saiddoor-hinge, a member pivotally mounted on' said opposite edge andclosable over said .free end of said hinge, a self-locking latchpivotally mounted on said door-hinge, rotatable about an axissubstantially normal to said opposite edge of said opening and adaptedto be brought into locking engagement with said member when the latteris moved to closed position, and means on said latch providing a handgrip for first tuming said latch about its said axis and then swingingsaid door-hinge about its pivot.

3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a cylinderhaving a door opening, a door adapted to form a complete closure forsaid opening and pivotally supported at one edge of said opening, meansat the opposite edge of said opening for rigidly supporting said door inclosed position, a flap closable over the rigidly supported edge of saiddoor, and a pair of hinged latches on said door rotatable about axesangularly disposed relatively to the rigidly supported edge of saiddoor, adapted automatically to be brought into locking engagement withsaid flap when the latter is moved to closed position and movable abouttheir respective axes toward a medium line normal to said rigidlysupported edge to release said flap.

NIERLE L. MANCHESTER.

